National Policy Review and Coordination Meeting Held... Ministry of Industry Identifies 69 Comprehensive Negative Regulation Tasks Across 19 Affiliated Agencies
[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Energy public enterprises such as Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) will also be subject to a comprehensive negative regulation system that allows the prior release of new products or new technologies before regulating them.
On the 7th, the government held the 105th National Policy Issue Inspection and Coordination Meeting and discussed and finalized the 'Plan to Transition Public Institution Regulations to Comprehensive Negative Regulation.'
Since introducing the comprehensive negative regulation system in September 2017, the government has been gradually transitioning regulations targeting central government ministries' laws and local governments' autonomous regulations. Since 2018, 377 regulations have been improved over four rounds.
This time, the scope was expanded to public institution regulations that have a significant impact on the daily lives of citizens.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, in cooperation with relevant public institutions such as energy public enterprises, identified 69 improvement tasks including the transition to negative regulation, expansion of support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and flexibilization of the support scope for social enterprises.
They will promote the transition to negative regulation for energy public enterprises by improving regulations that restrict the development of new industries and new technologies or by expanding participation in the procurement market.
The Korea Resources Corporation previously limited the scope of minerals eligible for mineral development fund loans to "minerals under the Mining Act," but this time, they established a new classification type to flexibly apply minerals for new materials and convergence industries.
KEPCO Western Power had limited the contractors for emergency construction projects, which cannot be bid on due to natural disasters such as typhoons, to "local contractors with the most construction performance," but the scope of contractor selection will be expanded to "local contractors with construction performance."
Electric Safety Corporation, KEPCO KDN, Korea East-West Power, and Korea Petroleum Management Institute will expand the eligibility or business scope for in-house venture applications to foster an innovative atmosphere.
Electric Safety Corporation, KEPCO KDN, and Korea East-West Power had restricted in-house venture application eligibility to "employees with a certain minimum period of service," but the service period qualification rule has been removed.
The Korea Petroleum Management Institute will include fields recognized as necessary by the Venture Review Committee in the scope of in-house venture projects. Previously, it was limited to "certain fields."
Korea Electric Power Technology, KEPCO Western Power, and the District Heating Corporation will broaden the scope of SMEs eligible for linked cooperation to provide opportunities for SMEs to participate in research and development and business.
Korea East-West Power, Korea South-East Power, and the Gas Safety Corporation will improve contract deposit or advance payment regulations in favor of small-scale contracting parties.
Korea Midland Power plans to allow the contracting party to choose a simplified online method instead of the somewhat cumbersome offline administrative procedures when requesting advance payments.
Korea National Oil Corporation, KEPCO KPS, and Korea South Power will strengthen services for stakeholders such as private service users.
Korea East-West Power, Korea South Power, and Korea Gas Corporation will expand the scope of support to spread the foundation of an inclusive society and revitalize the social economy.
An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy emphasized, "We will encourage the stable establishment and faithful implementation of the negative regulation transition for public institution regulations, which is being attempted for the first time, so that citizens and companies can feel the effects."
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